Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Just as the hunters' laughter subsided...

The temperature inside the tavern plummeted.

It's already late October, and the Blackwater Corridor is already bitterly cold.

A light snow began to fall over White Stone City.

But the coldness now is different.

It was a chilling cold that seemed to seep into your very bones.

The five hunters fell silent almost simultaneously and stood up abruptly.

Back to back, they instantly formed a warning formation.

The scarred assassin's eyes were sharp as knives.

His perception spread like an invisible spider web in an instant.

Sweeping through every corner of the tavern, penetrating the walls, and extending to the street outside.

Once, twice.

There was nothing there.

There was no energy fluctuation, no breathing, no heartbeat.

There wasn't even a mouse.

"How's it going, boss?"

The wandering swordsman asked in a low voice, his fingers already on the bowstring.

The scarred assassin frowned and slowly withdrew his senses.

He shook his head.

"Nobody's here."

He walked back to the fire and sat down, shrugging casually.

"I guess it's because the weather is getting cooler."

"The last month is approaching, so a drop in temperature is normal."

The man carrying the rope net relaxed a little and sat down as well.

"Boss, where do you think the Black Tide will erupt this time?"

He scratched his head, his tone filled with curiosity.

"When I came here, I heard from the people of Bounty City that it was inside the Wailing Wall."

"It seems some vampires have gone in and kidnapped the Witcher Cass."

"What demon king are you looking for? Do you want to awaken that demigod... and bring about another Silent End?"

As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer.

"Actually, I think... we were a bit reckless coming in this time."

"or……"

The scarred assassin gave him a cold glance.

His gaze was like an icicle.

The man in the rope net immediately shut up and shrank his neck.

"snort."

The scarred assassin chuckled and tossed a piece of firewood into the fire.

"The demons are entering the Wailing Wall? People say that every year."

"Look at how the dwarves reacted! They didn't utter a single word."

"I've been selling goods here for over a decade, and I'm sick of hearing these kinds of rumors."

"The Wailing Wall has stood for sixteen years, and the Black Tide has erupted eight times."

"If you were going to do it, you would have done it already. Why wait until now?"

He spat.

"Those bounty hunters are cowards, cowards."

"They cry and scream at the slightest hint of trouble."

"They deserve to be stuck here, earning that paltry money from the dwarves."

The man with the rope net nodded with a smirk.

"That's right, what we earn in one trip is enough for those people to earn for several lifetimes."

The scarred man twitched the corner of his mouth and didn't reply.

He turned to look out the window.

The light snow started falling again, and the sky was overcast.

"Alright, stop talking nonsense."

He stood up and dusted off his leather armor.

"Hurry up and rest for a bit; we need to get to Shadowmoon City before dark."

"Don't keep our 'distinguished guests' waiting."

He glanced at the two elderly people, barely breathing, in the corner, and his tone turned cold.

"These two old men won't last much longer."

"What if I die halfway there..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was clear.

The wanderer's expression darkened, and he subconsciously touched the medicine pouch at his waist.

Thinking back on this journey, those unseen yet ubiquitous "things".

Those whispering, sighing spirits and demons in your ear.

Even a hunter like him, who had always lived a life of danger, couldn't help but shudder.

They were like infants in swaddling clothes when faced with those beings.

They were completely powerless to fight back.

Even with potions to resist the fog and guides to clear the way.

This journey was still nerve-wracking.

They would rather go to the forbidden land filled with terrible demons than come back to this horrible place again.

The group remained silent and quickly packed their belongings.

The fire was trampled out, and the embers emitted wisps of smoke.

The two elderly people were roughly pulled up and staggered to catch up.

Just as they pushed open the tavern door and were about to step into the snow.

A piece of broken brick suddenly fell from the second-floor beam.

It aimed straight at the back of the scarred assassin's head.

The assassin's eyes turned cold, and he didn't even turn his head.

With a backhand grab, the broken brick landed steadily in his palm.

The movements were so fluid, as if it had been anticipated.

The next second, he vanished from the spot.

When it reappeared, it was clinging to the opposite stone wall like a gecko.

The poisoned dagger in his hand transformed into a streak of eerie green light, heading towards the direction from which the brick had flown.

He thrust it out fiercely!

puff!

Before the dagger even touched the wall, its sharp energy had already pierced through the stone.

Leave a clear hole about the size of a bowl.

Gravel fell in a soft rustling sound.

The assassin's ferocious killing intent lasted only a moment.

Then came astonishment.

Behind the hole.

It was an empty second floor, with dust falling everywhere.

There was no one, no breath, not even a trace of warmth.

He squinted and carefully sensed it several more times.

Finally, it rolled over and landed on its feet.

His expression was somewhat gloomy and puzzled.

There's nothing there. Could it be an accident?

After thinking for a while, the assassin put aside his doubts.

It's probably really loose due to years of disrepair.

"……Walk."

He said no more, sheathed his dagger, and turned to step into the wind and snow.

The others looked at each other in bewilderment and quickly followed.

The two elderly people were dragged away and disappeared at the end of the street.

The tavern fell silent once more.

.......

The tavern is suspended in mid-air.

On the staff shrouded in a dark, veiled garment.

Eve gently leaned against Lin Gui's back, her hands resting on his shoulders.

She peeked out from Lin Gui's shoulder, her purple eyes filled with curiosity.

"Did you do this?"

Lin Gui watched the hunter's figure disappear into the mist.

"no."

Eve raised an eyebrow.

She followed Lin Gui's gaze and looked at the few blurry figures.

"I thought you would take action against them."

Lin Gui turned his head to the side.

Why do you think that?

Eve smiled, her gaze falling on Lin Gui's profile.

"Because you will feel sympathy, you will feel sorry for them."

"Like a compassionate priest or a benevolent and righteous knight in a story."

"They might get angry over strangers, and even draw their swords."

Her voice was soft, yet clear.

"Just like you, trying to convey these...long-severed longings."

"Willing to cross the silent sea and break into the Wailing Wall."

Lin Gui remained silent for a moment.

He tilted his head and looked into Eve's eyes.

"And what about you?"

"Wouldn't you feel sorry for me too?"

"Do you also get angry about injustice, discrimination, and evil people?"

"The Holy Maiden of the Church of Light?"

Eve's expression froze for a moment.

She seemed surprised that Lin Gui would ask that question.

Then, she tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a faint, bitter smile.

"In this world... good people can't survive."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were stating a fact she had already accepted.

"I have seen saints who spoke out for the people, only to be nailed to the stake by the people themselves."

"I have also seen revolutions that yearned for justice buried silently underground."

She paused, her eyelashes drooping.

"I've seen too much of this in church."

"So much so that... I've long forgotten how to get angry."

She was mentally prepared when she said those words.

Prepare to face Lin Gui's usual indifference or mockery.

She even secretly raised her eyes, trying to catch the expected indifference on his face.

however.

What she saw, however, was a smile.

Lin Gui's lips curled up slightly.

The smile was faint, yet exceptionally clear.

Like a sliver of light peeking through a crack in the haze.

There was no mockery, no alienation.

Instead, it carried a kind of... almost bright warmth.

Eve was stunned.

She had never seen such an expression on Lin Gui's face before.

She had seen indifference, exhaustion, misanthropy, mockery, relaxation, and helplessness.

I've never seen a smile like this before, as if it still holds some kind of belief.

For a moment, she even forgot to breathe.

She just stared at him blankly.

Looking at that smile was like looking at an illusion that shouldn't exist.